PMD: King's Explorers
by Dark Bloodclaw
Summary: Ranked elite among the kingdom of Grassillia's organisations, answering only to the throne and whom sits upon it, shrouded in mystery and secretes, two pokemon, Ri and Kitsune entangle themselves within the grey cloaked folds of the King's Explore, there's no training manual or survival guide for the cloak and dagger that keeps a kingdom safe from threats, within and outside.
1. Chapter 1

The sun rose high over the thick, lush forest that surrounded Silvertown, a prospering large town set deep within the borders of Grassillia, the Kingdom of Grass. The residences of the town were slowly stirring from the strange realm of dreams as their days begin anew.

One young Riolu laid sprawled out in the clump of straw that served as his nest within the small stick and vine woven lean to shelter he had built on the edge of the town, the branches that formed the low angled wall slanted at a steep incline as it rose out above him. It wasn't much but to Ri, as the Riolu was named, but it was home, and something he had built with his own two paws. He was sleeping peacefully unaware of a smirking Zorua creeping toward his small shelter.

The black furred Zorua inched forward, as he got closer to the dozing Riolu he lept into the air and shifted forms.

Ri jerked up awake shouting as the Magikarp landed on him with a heavy _THUMP_.

"KITSUNE!" he shouted as he shoved the snickering Zorua who had shifted back into his true form while laughing.

Kitsune landed on the ground laughing as his paws flailed in the air as the Riolu glared at him "Why?"

"It's time to get up." Kitsune replied as he could stop grinning.

Ri glanced at his friend before standing up with a jerk "The guild's recruiting today!"

Kitsune eyed Ri before shrugging "Calm down, we have all day to get there."

"Kitsune the recruitment STARTS in the morning!" Ri nearly shouted as he grabbed his bag, the one thing he really owned, a gift from his brother. Rushing by the Zorua he glanced over his shoulder "Come on!"

Kitsune rolled his eyes at the Riolu as he skidded around a corner. _Always in a rush_ he thought to himself before shouting "WRONG WAY!" and taking off after his friend who came rushing back and skidded down the correct path leading through the town.

Ri rushed down the stone path, the sound of his footfalls lost as many of the town's pokemon were stirring and already up and about, a fact that didn't bypass the Riolu and pushed him to greater speeds as he weaved past a large female Aggron arguing with a Berry Merchant. Kitsune's dark shape close behind with the ever present grin plastered on the Zorua's maw, enjoying the haste his friend had put into getting to the Guild before being late for the Recruitment.

The Riolu and Zorua stood in the center of town, the bustle of life stirring as the various pokemon went about their daily tasks. Ri didn't focus on them as he took a deep breath, before them stood the largest tree in the town and the surrounding forest. Ri glanced up and observed that frequently figures passed by one of the many windows that was set into the tree. Kitsune meanwhile noticed the large notice board set into the side of the trunk, just left of the thick door cut into the trunk. Here was the Silvertown Exploration Guild.

"Well here we are." Ri said staring up at the building as though he couldn't believe they had made it this far.

"You know, most recruitment involve us going _in_ instead of just drooling on the doorstep." Kitsune said with a small snicker as the Riolu quickly closed his mouth with an audible _SNAP_.

Ri glanced at the smirking Zorua before nodding and with a deep breath he stepped into the building.

Inside, it was far more impressive than the outside. Ri and Kitsune were standing in a large round room, to one side sat a small desk with a Pichu sitting on top sifting through papers, next to her, at least RI thought it was a female sat two ladders, one going doward under the floor and the other leaning against the wall, a square cut hole leading to the upper floor. Along the walls hung paintings of various scenes from long ago battles to the legendary pokemon from myths.

A Pawniard and Charmander sat at a table under the large circular window and, Ri observed were caught in a type of card game while another Pawniard rushed in, brushing against Ri's back and knocking him to the floor without a second glance as he rushed up the ladder.

The Pichu's ears twitched when she heard the thump and she glanced over. She laid the paper in her paw aside and beckoned them over "You two here to join?" it seemed fairly obvious as she hasn't seem them around before and they had the classic reaction to the guildhall that many newcomers had.

Ri nodded as the two of them walked toward the desk "Yes ma'am, we heard the guild was recruiting today."

"Recruitment doesn't start until tomorrow." the Pichu corrected while skimming over the paper she picked back up.

Ri blinked in confusion, trying to figure this out until the snicker from behind solved it as the Riolu turned and glanced at Kitsune.

"Got you." the Zorua said with a smirk, his plan to mess with his friend had worked.

"B-but how?" Ri stuttered but before Kitsune could elaborate the Pichu cut in.

"Would you mind coming back tomorrow then? Instead of standing here, you're blocking my light." she huffed while making a shooing gesture with her paw.

"Is there any way we could join today?" Ri asked, not really wanting to go through the mad rush again tomorrow.

"Im sorry but no." the Pichu replied with a dismissive wave. By now the Charmander and Pawniard were looking up from their card game with interest.

"Oh come on Kate, just give them the entrance mission and see how they do." the Charmander said after a few moments of silence, though as Ri noticed, his face seemed to show more of an expression of disdain than anything else..

"Recruitment doesn't start until tomorrow." Kate huffed before glaring at the Charmander "If they want to join then they have to do it on the right day!"

Kitsune glanced at the Pichu and then the look on Ri's face before sighing and speaking up

"Please ma'am is there anything we can do? it's my fault for getting his hopes up and-" but before he could finish the Pichu cut him off.

"Recruitment starts tomorrow." she said with another huff.

"Alright, we'll come back tomorrow." Ri said with a sigh before glancing at Kitsune and turning to leave.

"It might be best if you don't come back at all." the Charmander suddenly blurted out.

Ri glanced over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow questioningly "Whys that?"

The Charmander shrugged "Maybe but you don't have what it takes, your just a nobody that showed up years ago, you don't have the right type of blood for an Explorer."

"And what do you know about blood?" Kitsune cut in. The Zorua stood next to his friend protectively as the Charmander tried talking down to him.

"I know how to spill it." the Charmander said with a smirk "and I'd be happy to demonstrate a proper explorer."

Ri chose to bite his tongue on the remark _"He doesn't know anything about my blood line._ " He looked between Kitsune and the Charmander, Kitsune's fur bristling slightly and the Charmander flexing his claws, before anything else could a new voice cut in.

"Enough of that." the Bisharp spoke in a sharp tone as he climbed down the ladder and onto the scene. "What is going on here Charcoal?" he asked glancing at the Charmander.

"G-guildmaster Razor." The Charmander gulped before glancing at the Riolu and explaining "I was only explaining to him in what he lacks of being a proper explorer sir."

The Guildmaster's eyebrow raised under the axe blade embedded in his head,before glancing at the Riolu and Zorua and looking them over intently. Ri shifted slightly, feeling uncomfortable with that scrutinizing gaze.

"Well?" he said after a few more moment's observation "What is your blood line?"

Ri blinked before speaking "What does bloodline have to do with anything? how would who's son I am affect me being a good explorer?"

Kitsune looked between the two of them. He knew why they were asking, to everyone in Silvertown, bloodline meant alot. Ri had shown up out of the blue a few years back with no history anyone knew of. Kitsune himself came from a line of explorers and mine workers, but Ri's past, not even he knew, he glanced at his friend with interest.

"What does bloodline have to do with it?" Razor asked in disgust at the question "it has _everything_ to do with it, this guild was founded by _pure_ blooded explorers and I intend to continue that." he looked at the Riolu before going on "If _you_ want to join then you will have to prove yourself."

The Riolu felt his own anger start to boil at their arrogance on ancestry, but he was also torn by his dream of becoming an explorer made him guard his tongue, then his hope rose again when Razor spoke. "What do I need to do?" he asked somewhat eagerly.

Kitsune stood by his friend's side before speaking "I'll do it with him, what ever the task is."

Razor looked at the two of them before nodding with slight approve, loyalty was one thing he did value, when a nod he spoke "You must enter the Misty Forest and bring back some of the Oran berries that grow in the center."

"That's it?" Ri asked skeptically with some disbelief "bring back some berries from a forest?"

The Bisharp nodded "That's it." his eyes flicked to Charcoal who was about to speak, but the steely glance from the Guildmaster quickly silenced him. "Kate, give them some basic supplies for this mission."

The Pichu nodded and disappeared behind her desk. the Pokemon in the room were glancing at each other as soft grunting could be heard as Kate lugged a large backpack out from behind the desk and stopped by the Riolu's feet.

"Here's what your need, a map, a badge and some berries, return with what the Guildmaster asks for and you'll be in, but fail and don't bother coming back." Kate said simply before holding up the badge "This is pretty basic, get the berries if you can and tap it, it will teleport you out."

Ri barely contained his excitement as he nodded and took the bag, slinging it over his shoulder and slipping the badge inside and glancing the rolled up map "'Ok we'll be back with them soon."

Kitsune nodded before glancing at Ri with a smirk "Well let's go!" he shouted and shot out of the door and curved along the path heading toward the thick forest that surrounded the town.

"Hey!" Ri shouted and took off after his friend as Razor shook his head "Oh I doubt we'll be seeing you anytime soon."

"At least if they die, that will be one less...mixed blood around." Charcoal said with an actual shudder at the word.

Kate rolled her eyes "You know, you can just tell them no, instead of sending them to _that_ forest." She said to the Bisharp while shaking her head.

Razor had a small smile as he glanced at the Pichu before speaking "Oh but, if they do live, we will recruit them and maybe one day they will be able to help us, but if they die..well no one will find the bodies out there."


	2. Chapter 2: A New Road

Two pokemon stood just outside of Silvertown's southern gate. Thick pieces of wood held together with tightly woven vines and Ariados silk, something provided by certain citizens of the town. The object that held their interest was the map given to them by Kate. The map was old and stained, but it encompassed the greater area around Silvertown, pockmarked with various Xs and small notes.

Lush trees surround the town in the form of a vibrant forest, leaves of an emerald green hue entangled among the branches of their neighbor. Moss growing thick amongst the rocks and bark of the trunks as the two friends sat, Ri leaning his back against a moss cushioned trunk of one of the nearby trees and Kitsune plopped down on the soft grass.

"Ok so where's the Misty Forest?" Ri asked out loud as his grey eyes drifted over the various names on the map. Ri may have come from another area of the country, but nearly all of the names made little sense to him, that was when the thought crossed his mind and he glanced at his friend, who's attention was diverted from the task at hand as he watched the various pokemon passing by the gate.

Kitsune's icy blue gaze was focused on one pokemon meandering his way past the guards. The large mane of jet black and blood red fur of the male Zoroark faced the duo as he chatted briefly with the Grovyle standing guard and slipping past after a few moments.

"Kitsune?" Ri repeated himself, slight frustration showed in his tone as he gently prodded the Zorua's side. Kitsune blinked for a moment before looking over slightly confused.

"Yes?" he asked after a few moments as he got closer and skimmed the map "so….where is the forest?"

A small sigh escaped the Riolu as he glanced at his friend before speaking "I don't know, I washoping you might know what these Xs are." as he spoke he raised a paw and pointed at the nearest X, a small drawing of triangle shapes stood near it and written in thin letters was the name _Abandoned Mine_.

The Zorua blinked again, his mind drifted back to one of the pokemon that had passed by, Kitsune knew that the Zoroark had seen him and simply chose to ignore him, but Ri had missed the detail of whom had wondered by. He glanced down at the map with a nod.

"I think it's a Mystery Dungeon." Kitsune responded, his brow creased slightly at the thought.

"Though I hope they aren't sending us to one…they are dangerous without training and I know little about them…" assuming that Ri had no knowledge of them, they were close friends but Kitsune didn't know much about his companion beyond him being from a different area of the country, a topic Ri tried to avoid.

"Well maybe it's part of the mission? I mean _just_ gathering berries seems very easy, maybe this is how they test potential recruits?" Ri speculated as he eyed the map.

"Maybe there is a trick to it." Kitsune agreed "Or maybe they think they're too important to do something so minimal." Ri blinked and glanced up in slight surprise, he had detected a hint of resentment in his friend's tone and that was something unusual for the normally cheerful Dark type.

"Do you mean their comments about blood?" the Riolu asked as his head turned from the map to his friend.

Kitsune nodded before sighing "I know you want to join them badly...but what if that's how they will treat you? Always second class just because you don't have 'proper' blood as the Charmander put it?"

A brief flicker of doubt crossed Ri's face as he quickly hid it before speaking "Well, the Guildmaster seems nice. I'm sure the others will come around in time and see that where you're born don't have anything to do with what you're capable of." As he said the words, his mind drifted briefly as thoughts completely contrary to his words surfaced inside. _if they knew my ancestors they'd probably beg to have us...but that's not why I came. I want to earn it...not have it given to me_.

"Well..." Kitsune conceded as he settled down on his haunches and looking the map over, then with a smirk he pointed a red tipped paw at a spot on the map "Found it!"

"What!" Ri blinked with disbelief as the thoughts left his mind, a new excitement filled him. Now they could retrieve the berries and join the guild. "Where?" he asked as he stood up and brushed moss off his back as he peered over the map to where Kitsune's paw pointed. The forest, he observed was merely a few miles west of the town.

Kitsune nodded before eyeing the small note scrawled over the forest. He leaned down, his face almost brushing the map as he read the wording. "Danger rating: 1"

Ri tilted his head slightly at the odd note before scratching his head with a forepaw. "Guess that's the dungeon's ranking?"

"Yea, I guess we should head off." Kitsune replied as he began to roll the map up. It was quite a feat for a four legged pokemon. He nosed and poked at the map with a furry paw until it eventually resembled its previous rolled up state, though it lacked the neatness. Instead of being neatly even and straight the map spilled out of the lower half and Ri shuddered slightly at the sight.

"I'll get it." he said quickly as he picked up what he saw to be a horrific affront to the gentle art of map folding and quickly made short work of rerolling the map into a neat bundle. Kitsune rolled his eyes at his friend's repetitive tendencies as he gently poked and nudged the edges of the rolled up paper until it was perfectly symmetrical and set it into the bag with a sigh of relief.

"Wait!" Kitsune suddenly shouted, making Ri jump a few inches before adding "The bag's flap is slightly off!"

"Very funny." Ri snorted, his head turned to his friend's playful smirk as he unconsciously adjusted the flap of the bag. This action earned him a snicker from the Zorua.

"Any ways, let's go." The Fighting type said as the two of them turned down the dusty road leading out of Silvertown. Kitsune stood there unaware that this was a big step. The Zorua had come from a line of explorers but the greatness in that line had dried up with his grandfather and now here he stood about to set paw down the path that had not been trended since his father had abandoned that way of life.

"Alright." Kitsune said simply as he planted his paw on the ground and took his first steps toward a new future. Ri glanced down at the road and took note of the various types of paw steps embedded on it, and now theirs would become some as they trended roads known to pokemon and others unknown.

 **-000-**

As the two companions set off toward the Misty forest, one pokemon was already in there…

The sun shone high in the sky, a bright ray of hope splotched on a magnificent blue backdrop. The clouds laid scattered across the clear serene sky like smoky wisps of cotton. But the figure running through the forest was unable to enjoy the view.

The thick forest laid all around the cloaked figure as he stood on the overgrown path, bright but brief flashes of blue light emitted on occasion as he hacked his way through. The trees were spaced randomly and covered in thick moss, moss...everywhere growing in such an abundance that not one tree escaped its soft clutches. Thick ancient branches loomed over the figure's head; each branch proudly sported a thick veil of moss that it seem the sole purpose of was to impede the figure's progress covered the path. Moss, the plant that was slowly becoming the figure's most hated plant as he cut down yet another thick curtain of the stuff.

As he stepped across the soft and unsurprisingly moss covered ground, the figure gave a small sigh as he looked around before approaching one of the tree. There was a brief flash of light as just to spite the plant he cut away the surprisingly durable lichen from the trunk. He leaned against the rugged bark that hadn't been free of the choking grasp of moss for many decades.

There was a slight rustling sound as the figure dug through the bag hanging against his side under the cloak. The noise was the only to be made in the area, the mossy walls, as the figure observed, they were too thick to be curtains of the plant, did a tremendous job of muffling or all together silencing any noise that did break out.

A black tipped paw slowly pulled out a rolled up map and soon the figure scanned the area before leaning the slender piece of wood he had been carrying in his left paw against the tree. The bow laid within close reach to the figure and the quiver of arrows by his feet, should anyone come across him which he highly doubted, he hadn't even seen sign of life since entering this Arceus forsaken mossy forest, but it was ingrained in the unknown figure that it was never bad to be too careful.

Finding a decent sized rock that to his shock and surprise was devoid of moss, the figure slowly unrolled the map and looked it over. The map encompassed the Misty forest and the surrounding areas like any Exploration Map would but unlike other maps, this one was highly detailed beyond major roads and trails.

While other map makers neglected to detail trails within what they dubbed 'mystery dungeons' because the trails changed so frequently but the maker of this map had special contacts, pokemon that went out and mapped every version of each 'dungeon' that they could and upon close examination the maker had made a break through, each dungeon may have different forming paths but if mapped properly and enough times the general pattern could be learned and copied down, albit it was not perfect as the dungeon _did_ change but it gave the most detailed path that those patterns followed.

Such an object would be invaluable and irreplaceable to a Exploration team, but alas the figure here had no connection to those teams instead he was here for a different reason as he tried to dispel the heavy mist that coated the thick air and combined with the moss made navigating the forest almost impossible.

The figure blinked for a brief second, attention fully diverted to hating the moss he had completely forgotten about the ever present misty veil that gave the forest its name but before he could contemplate it further a low mutter escaped him.

He stood hunched over the map, an intricate and complex web of paths that the mapmaker had learned was common to every map ever created about the dungeon and combining them he cut out every dead end generated by the forest and gave the most precise paths possible even for a forest that had hundreds of possible routes.

"I did not sign up for this." the voice said, surprisingly young for one of his background and skill. "Where's the contact at." he muttered as one black tipped paw waved away more mist that had reformed over the map.

"Oh but you did." a new voice cut through the quiet serenity of the forest. The hooded figure rapidly rolled the map and concealed it in a hidden fold within in the cloak before lunging for his bow and grabbing an arrow he fired it toward the direction of the voice.

 **Hey everyone, Dark Bloodclaw here, I wanted to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read this and to Annuwriter who has graciously agreed to be my beta reader for this I hope the chapter was good as I tried to focus on environmental details and characterization. I hoped you enjoyed it and please read and review.**


	3. Chapter 3: Branching Paths

**Chapter 3: Branching Paths**

The forest stood quiet as the events had begun to unfold. Columns of moss covered trees stood high over the clearing; tendrils of mist weaved between the two figures. Each stood watching each other, one wearing a black cloak that fluttered gently in the breeze, an arrow drawn on the taut bow as he leveled the weapon at the other figure.

The other figure as the hooded Dewott observed through the mist impeding his aim, was a Servine, heavily resembling a grass stake with the V shaped stripe of gold around her neck.

"Swift. Swift. Swift." The Servine said gently, the voice resembling a soft breeze exposed the Servine to be female.

"Ivy." The Dewott, his name revealed growled as he kept the bow leveled with her heart, the arrow a simple carved point with a sticky substance the tip glimmered softly in the dim light that did managed to break through the ever thick canopy draped in thick moss and leaves woven tightly amongst their neighbors.

"Aw, you don't sound happy to see me, and after how long have you searched?" Ivy asked as she leaned casually against the soft lichen covered trunk of a nearby tree. She stood seemingly unfazed by the arrow that could pierce her heart in a second."You've been chasing the Shadows for years and yet here one is and you seem...angry?"

The Dewott glared at her with unmasked hatred as he spoke "I have been hunting the Shadows, not a washed up reject who barely made Assailant rank." His black eyes watched closely as the Servine's apparent mask of loftiness slowly started to crumble as the muscles along her snake like body twitched subtly. Seeing his advantage rise he pressed home "Don't tell me, they sent _you_ to try and kill me?" He added a low chuckle and got the reaction he was looking for.

The Servine's right hand gripped at the moss and tore some free as she shook with anger "You." she growled as she tried to reign in her temper "Are dead to the Shadows, nothing left, at least _I_ still have a family."

Swift flinched for a moment, gripped the bow tightly before speaking "I left to keep them safe from the likes of you."

Ivy had regained part of her composure as she noticed she hit a sore spot and tried to press in on it more "Oh, so noble and gallant, the hero leaving his family to keep them safe...or to run away? The Noble Swift, turning his back on the way of the Shadows and assassination?"

"Enough." Swift growled "I took no lives during my training. I can start over in life, but first I will hunt down every one of you that betrayed me to rot in that prison." He glared directly at her as he added "It starts with you." The arrow shot from the bow with surprising force before slamming into the tree next to the Servine. Using that moment of hesitation Swift lunged forward drawing his scalchops as he moved toward the Servine.

Ivy stood blinking away the confusion as she expected the arrow to hit her. Now as she realized it was a diversion she snapped back to her senses growling "You're going to die."

 **-000-**

The two Pokemon would have fallen right into the Mystery Dungeon had it not been for Ri's quick actions. As the two of them had been walking and admiring the beauty of the forest, each also lost in thoughts about the guild and this mission. Ri's optimistic mind trying to figure out what the secret test of the mission was and Kitsune's more cynical view of the guild being too lazy to simply fetch berries.

As they walked along the well worn dirt trail through the forest, the gentle but ever present buzz of the wild insect types hummed and the occasional Deerling would run by startled by some odd noise. Large towering oaks hung overhead, rich emerald green leaves rustled gently in the breeze as the sunlight filtered down through the thin canopy casting plenty of light within the forest….and then there was the dramatic change.

Ri had been glancing up at the brilliant shades of vibrant green that the light shone and seeming danced around with the first changes caught his eye. Subtly the rich green hues slowly faded to dark and darker variant of the color wheel until almost every branch was covered in thick heavy and almost ancient looking moss. This was the farthest reach of the Mystery Dungeon.

"Kitsune stop!" Ri squeaked, more from surprise at the sudden changes than anything else. He tore his eyes off from the canopy. Kitsune stopped mid stride, one red tipped furry paw just inches away from crossing the threshold into the Misty Forest.

The Zorua took in his surroundings for the first time. The first thing he noticed was that the low hum of the Bug Types was gone, the soft but comforting lull simply vanished. The second thing he noticed as his icy blue gaze drifted to the trees in front of him.

The oak trees became thicker and larger as he gazed into the dungeon. Moss that seems to creep onto the outer trunks, like the two that stood before him slowly took over the trees deeper in. Large curtains of the lichen draped over almost every branch, That combined with the eerie mist that seeped out and into the sunlight, quickly dissipating in the warm light made it almost impossible to see further then maybe four or five meters in front of the pair.

Ri slowly approached his friend before speaking "I think we found the _Mossy_ Forest." he indicated to the ever present plant "But this is where the map led is, maybe it's a part of the test? Navigate your way through the mist and moss to find the berries?"

After a few moments Kitsune nodded, the young Zorua had read and learned about Mystery Dungeons from his grandfather and now he could see the appeal. So much unknown about the strange places, popping up in the oddest locations, slowly spreading out, what caused them? How could they be stopped? Did they pose a risk? Where did the mist that gave the Misty Forest its name instead of the Mossy forest, a name that would fit ten times better come from? The questions made Kitsune's head spin and his blood roar in his veins. That's when Kitsune realized it; this _had_ to be his destiny.

"Kitsune?" Ri gently prodded him again, the first time had been lost on the Zorua.

"Um yea?" Kitsune blinked as he awoke from his thoughts before glancing at RI and speaking "If we go in here...no matter what we will becomes Explorers..."

A smile formed on the Riolu's maw at the words as he nodded "I'm glad to hear it, you finally have faith in the Guild an-" But before he could go on Kitsune cut him off.

"No Ri, I don't have faith in that Guild..." The Zorua said bluntly, but the passion in his next words stunned the Riolu for a moment "Whatever happens with that guild, _WE_ will be Explorers even if it means leaving the Silvertown Guild for another." The Zorua's blood ran with generations of explorers and to see so much unknown about the Mystery Dungeons it awoke that blood his veins. He would discover those lost secrets, that he knew and he wanted to do it with his best friend. The most important thing...Kitsune refused to turn out like his father had.

The weight behind the words finally dawned on Ri; Kitsune was pledging himself to the Riolu, no matter what trial or hardships they faced. Kitsune and Ri _would_ Explorers. The Riolu blinked slightly, stood there wondering where the sudden passion had come from before blinking again, this time surprised by the tear that had formed in his eye.

This Zorua had been his only friend in the town in all the years he had lived there after showing up out of the blue. Kitsune didn't ask or question his past, he was friends with the Riolu for who he was now, not who he was in the past.

Kitsune saw the tear and sighed "Oh come on! Don't get all soppy on me now! We have a mission to complete!" The Zorua turned to the first and with a smirk he shouted "You can arrange all of the moss by shades of green in there!" with that the friend scampered off into the Mystery Dungeon, little bits of moss torn loose by his claws flew through the air as Ri blinked for a moment thinking that the Zorua was serious about arranging the moss then when he heard the sudden snicker, the only noise in the forest he realized he was joking and with a sigh the Riolu dashed off after his friend, slightly disappointed.

 **-000-**

Ri had many thoughts about what a Mystery Dungeon would be like. Fights with Feral Pokemon, finding lost ruins and legendary artifacts, maybe chasing down Outlaws. He didn't expect this though, the two of them had been wondering through the forest for what felt like hours, trekking along a barely visible path. Frequently Ri would walk straight into one of the curtains of moss hanging from the thick branches overhead and spit and sputter as he pulled the plant out of his mouth. After the first ten times, Kitsune stopped snickering and simply sighed as his eyes drifted up toward the canopy.

The branches draped in moss he had thought were cool for awhile. He then saw even the very tips of the roof of the forest, where lighter, more flexible branches met and wove together like a thick quilt of leaves was even sporting small veils of moss, the Zorua sighed.

Ri pulled the map out of the bag they had been given and tried to look it over in the dim light as he used his paw to wave away some of the mist for a better view. After a few moments he sighed too "Well this is useless here."

Kitsune peeled his eyes away from the roof of moss and glanced at Ri "Well, it is a mystery dungeon for a reason..." The Zorua's eyes drifted to the path behind them, He blinked for a moment. "Um Ri…we walked down a straight path right?"

The Riolu glanced up from the map, slightly confused by his friend's statement. "Yes?" he asked, though it came out as a question as his grey gaze drifted to where his friend's red tipped paw pointed behind them. The path had took a sharp curve to the right and down around the trees.

"T-that's not possible…" Ri stuttered, a forest couldn't just shift paths...could it? it went against all forms of Logic that the Riolu had known and the stunned look on his face spoke volumes about how much he knew of Mystery Dungeons.

Kitsune himself had known only tidbits and snippets of information on the dungeons, having learned them from his Grandfather before the Zoroark had died a few years back. _How can anyone navigate a forest that shifts so much?_

The two stood there for a few moments as the mist drifted and swirled on invisible currents of air. Ri glanced at Kitsune as he thought things over _It doesn't make any sense...the dungeons nature is to change after you leave….right?_ He had a vague memory of his father telling him that but now this forest seemed to change of its own accord.

"I havn't heard anything about a dungeon acting like this…" Kitsune said quietly as he thought over the same facts unknowingly. "I mean, I've read that the dungeons change paths yes...but I've never heard it happening while you were inside of one..."

"Maybe this is a part of the test?" Ri replied as he tried to hide the slight irritation of the illogical forest. Ri was a firm believer that things had an order and when it didn't follow that order it really irked him to no ends.

Kitsune, by now having learned Ri's tendencies couldn't help but snicker at his friend's horrible attempt to hide his annoyance before nodding "I mean, I still think they're just lazy but it could be.."

Ri sighed before nodding, he opened his mouth to speak but stopped when he noticed Kitsune's ear twitch and the Zorua brought a paw to his mouth to signal silence. The Zorua stood there on the moss covered trail, his ears straining to pick up any more noise, the moss doing a terrific job of muffling any noise further than five feet away.

After a few minutes of silence, the Zorua's ears finally caught the noise again, a muffled shriek of what sounded like pain. The noise, this time was loud enough that Ri's less sensitive ears picked it up and he glanced at Kitsune "You hear that?"

"Let's go." Kitsune said before dashing off in what he thought was the direction that the noise had emitted from, the heavy veils of moss worked wonders to distort and disorientate the origins of any noise loud enough not to be muffled and absorbed by the plant. RI soon followed after, both of the adventure's paws tearing up bits of moss and sending it flying through the air as their paws tore up the ground.

 **-000-**

Meanwhile as events unfolded in the forest, back in Silvertown, three members of the exploration guild sat in the office of the Guildmaster. The three pokemon, a Charmander, Pawniard and Pichu each sat on one of the thick cushions that served as seats. The office Kate notice was filled with random items and pieces of furniture.

A thick heavy oak desk sat before them, a desk carved with intricate symbols and etchings of the legendary pokemon. Kyogre and Groudon battled on the left corner facing the three with Rayquaza carved over head roaring a challenge. Zygarde was wrapped around the thick tree trunk shaped right leg of the desk with a large stag like pokemon that Kate didn't recognize standing on the middle span of the desk.

Kate blinked for a moment as she realized something odd. _That desk hasn't been here before…_ the thought seemed as Kate knew she would have seen such an piece of art being hauled up and into the guildmaster's office. As she looked around the room she realized that there were quite a few pieces of expensive artwork that had not been present in the previous visit to the office merely a week ago now found home in the circle room.

Kate glanced at Charcoal and his pawniard companion to mention the odd discovery when her ears pricked as the trapdoor that served as the office door flipped open and the Guildmaster climbed in. Without saying a word the Bisharp took a seat in what highly resembled a throne, the chair thick and large with a high back, more carving decorated it, ranging from the legendary bird trio frozen in flight to Entei, Suicune and Raikou running on the other side, and Arceus poised high on the back of the chair just barely overlooking Razor's head as his steely glare looked over the three present.

"You know why you're here correct?" Razor asked as he leaned back on the mini throne with an air of boredom.

Charcoal was the first to speak up, Kate noticed that the Pawniard, whose name sadly she never did find out, had opened his mouth to speak but quickly shut it when the Charmander spoke.

"Well Guildmaster sir, I assume it could only have to do with those two poor sods who tried to join? it has been two days since they left on their fool's errand." Charcoal spoke with both respect and arrogance, something Kate noted that only he seemed skilled enough to do. The Pichu's ears pricked when the Charmander mentioned the team.

 _Two days...has it really been that long?_ " she blinked to herself as her quick mind calculate how long it had been exactly, her small tongue poked out of her mouth for the barest of seconds that it took her to figure up that it had been just short of twelve hours since that Zorua and somewhat cute Riolu had left. _Where did that come from...cute?_ " Kate wondered about the odd thought for the briefest of seconds as she turned her attention back to the Bisharp. The Pichu was about to point out the major flaw in Charcoal's math but before she could Razor spoke up.

"Indeed it has..Two new pokemon looking to join the team, barely two days ago Team Silverveil, named after the city that they loved took it upon them to hunt the dangerous and murderous Oakleaf Bandit within the Oakleaf forest." Razor stood up and walked toward the large circular glass window and looked down on the town square as he continued "It's with my most sincere regrets that Team Blaze." he indicated to the Charmander and Pawniard "Went into the forest for a day and a half after we realized what the foolhardy team had down to retrieve them but sadly..no bodies were found."

Charcoal, the quickest to catch on quickly added with a false tone of sadness "We all know the Oakleaf Bandit is a master of...disposing of his victims..we couldn't even find so much a trace of blood.."

Kate realizing what was happening, the young Pichu sighed, knowing that now she would have to write up yet another false death report for the Guildmaster and the Registry of Deeds within Kios, the county capital.

"Indeed." Razor said with longing sigh before glancing at Kate "I hate to ask you to do this, but please, can you write up a report of this tragic event and the official death reports for the records?"

Kate, with her small but agile mind had learned long ago not to question the Guildmaster and so she simply nodded as Razor turned his gaze toward the forest outside the city and went on.

"We all know...no one escapes the Oakleaf forest alive and Charcoal..." Razor's voice drifted off as the Charmander looked up.

"Yes sir?"

"You'll be receiving a commendation for your act of bravery against the Bandit that left you without your left eye."

"What..?" Charcoal blinked but before anyone could react or register what was meant Razor turned and lunged the blade that was a part of his right arm toward the Charmander's face. The moss that lined the trapdoor and the walls did wonders to muffle the loud but brief shriek of pain.

 **Hey Guys, Dark Bloodclaw here. Thanks for reading the story so far, I hope you enjoy it. If you have any suggestions, tips or advice please feel free to leave them in a review or a private message. I'm always looking to improve my skill of writing and please leave feedback on what you think.**


	4. Chapter 4: Deceptions Revealed

**Chapter 4: Deception Revealed**

 **The Mossy Forest**

"I think it's this way," Ri said as he used a thick stick like a machete and knocked down some of the heavy walls of moss that blocked their path. The moss grew in thick but delicate curtains over the path. Ri, himself surprised at the ease it took to knock it aside with the stick, muttered to himself as they ran. "Why didn't we think of this before?"

"Because it was funny when you kept running into the curtains?" Kitsune asked with a small smile as his friend knocked down more walls before pausing and he hissed "Stop!"

Ri stopped, the stick in mid swing, as he habitually swung it, when he noticed why Kitsune had stopped him. The veil of moss he had been expecting to knock down was already cut. Sitting the stick down and looking closely, Ri observed that this section had been cut neatly, almost if by a blade, and the moss laid off to the side of the path as though whoever cut it was in a hurry.

"Look," Kitsune said as he pointed a paw down the path. Through the mist Ri noticed that every one of the mossy curtains that draped over the path had also been cut, for the cuts, he noticed, were diagonal and alternating between left and right. "It looks like someone's been this way."

"Shh," Kitsune hissed again. The Zorua stood, his ears pricked, the faint sound of fighting

stronger now and as he looked down the path, through the hazy and swirling fog, he saw brief flashes of blue light.

"Should we check it out?" Ri whispered, crouching down, though it was pointless, because at this distance they would be virtually invisible to whomever was battling.

"If we're becoming explorers, then yes, I think we should," Kitsune whispered back. "If it's just two ferals fighting then we can be on our way." The Zorua had his own doubts about that, because ever since they had entered this forest, there hadn't been so much as a breath of wind, let alone any feral pokemon wandering about, the chances of it being a fight between two sentinel pokemon was much more likely in his opinion.

As the two companions drew closer, the flashes of light became more frequent and soft grunts could be heard. Ri paused as two thick bushes blocked the path, and judging by the noise, the fight was happening just on the other side. He glanced at Kitsune and when the Zorua nodded that he was ready, they burst through the bushes.

Two Pokemon stood in the clearing; the fight between them paused momentarily as the bushes rustled. The Dewott stood; his cloak tossed aside, both scalchops raised in front of him. The Servine stood across from him, a dull glimmer of light on a metallic blade revealed she was holding a knife.

Kitsune saw the glint of metal and pulled Ri backwards as the duo fighting glanced in their direction. Normally seeing two pokemon battling was nothing odd, in Grassilia it was often used to settle a dispute between parties if nothing else could be used. The situation here, however, was odd because while many pokemon had natural weapons they used in a fight, to bring a knife, something that was normally only used for cutting meat or rope or other utilitarian tasks and to use it as a weapon, it told the story to the two. The Servine must be a bandit or outlaw, someone with no regards for life and the Dewott must be defending himself. At least that's what the two companions each thought silently.

"We have to help him," Ri whispered as the Dewott was the first to take advantage of the attention laps. Ri noticed the figure moved with confidence and assurance as he lunged at the Servine, both Scalchops closing in for a double slash.

Ivy, the Servine's name unknown to the two newcomers jerked her head backwards as the Scalchops came cutting through the air, falling onto the thick moss as the slight _whoosh_ of air as the energy blades had come within inches of cutting her.

Swift, the Dewott, seeing her fall pressed on with an unrelenting flurry of attacks, nimbly flowing between slashes and jabs as he came closer, the blades glowing and humming through the air as Ivy rolled backwards to stand. Moss clung to her body as she stood and fell into a pattern of ducking and dodging as she danced between the glowing blades,(I have two!) the small knife in hand as she waited for an opening.

The fight was happening rapidly before Kitsune and Ri's eyes as they watched two deadly figures dance. Both knew this was beyond a traditional battle; the most likely end would be with one of the two combatant's lives.

"Are we going to stop them?" Ri whispered to Kitsune, the Riolu not daring raise his voice. The two fighting were lost in a trance as they fought and he felt it deep within that as soon as one of them lapsed in concentration, the other would move in for the kill.

"Razor Leaf!" The Servine shouted as she caught a lapse in the Dewott's guard, his eyes flicking briefly to the two newcomers, the laps was barely a few seconds, his gaze quickly returning in time to see the Servine leap into the air, her tail glowing green as energy and leaves swirled around it in a small cyclone. She glared at the water type in the few seconds it took the attack to charge and twitching her snake like body, sending the storm of leaves at the otter like pokemon.

Swift stumbled backwards as he tried to avoid the move, his confidence momentarily gone as he lost command of the fight and slipped on the ever present moss. The moss turned out to help him as he fell out of the direct path of the attack, the outer edges of the energy and leaf cluster cutting his arm and it hindered him as he fell onto a sharp and jagged rock, one of few that wasn't covered in the cushion of lichen.

The leaves and green energy slammed into the tree behind the downed water type, Kitsune flinching at the strength of the attack as Ivy landed lightly on the ground. She walked toward Swift with calm and deliberate steps as he groaned in pain, the rock embedded deep into his shoulder.

Ri tensed slightly as the snake pokemon's blood red gaze turned toward them as she raised the knife to plunge it into Swift's chest.

"Focus Blast!"

Without thinking **,** Ri released a barely charged ball of energy at the female assassin. Surprising her more than anything, the barely three inch in diameter sphere of energy exploded on contact, doing little actual damage but succeeding in making her drop the knife, the point embedding itself into the thick moss inches away from the prone water type's arm.

"Ri!" Kitsune squeaked in surprise as the Riolu fell into a battle stance **,** glaring at the Servine.

"Leave him alone **,** " the jackal like pokemon snarled, his fist glowing faintly as he pooled energy into it.

"You just made a mistake," Ivy hissed, her voice barely louder than a whisper, the quietness of it having the intended effect as it unnerved the Riolu slightly as he took up a clumsy stance.

"Leave him alone," Ri repeated, his paw still glowing.

The Servine gave a long drawn out sigh. "You see, now I'm going to have to kill you and the Zorua too. Can't leave witnesses, now can we?" As she asked the question, her snake like body flexed slightly as she lunged for the knife before finding herself grasping thick moss.

Kitsune watched the scene with growing horror before blinking in stunned silence. The ground where the Dewott had been laying was empty, a slight impression where he had been laying, was the only evidence he had been there.

 **-000-**

The Charmander stretched out on the rough linen bed within the Guild's medical area. The shadows of the other seven beds danced in the dim light cast by the fire type's tail as it hung over the edge.

Charcoal grunted softly as the lavender paw of the Espeon medic brushed against his face, the right side of his head was swathed in cloth bandages covering what was left of his right eye.

"It's ok dear," The Espeon spoke gently as he stirred.

"What..?" Charcoal asked in confusion as his one good eye glanced around the room.

"Your teammate brought you in here this morning," She explained gently as she checked the cloth to see if it needed changing. "I hate to say it, but you may lose your eye. You took a pretty severe wound from that wretched Scyther."

Charcoal simply grunted as memories of what had really transpired returned to him. Razor's maiming and the false story, for a brief second he felt guilty that Moonrise, as the Espeon was named, truly believed that he would lose his eye over actually serving the city.

The guilty feeling lasted only a second as he remembered that soon he would be awarded for that false act of bravery and that now he played the wounded warrior, taking advantage of Moonrise's kindness as he played up the severity of his injury. He was a hero after all; he felt this was the least he deserved.

Moonrise gently applied a small herbal salve to the cloth bandage before she pressed it against his face after removing the old dirty bandage. The medicine soaked fabric burned briefly against the wound causing Charcoal to jerk up out of his delusions.

The Espeon tilted her head slightly before speaking, her tone gentle and filled with worry **.** "I'm sure a big strong hero like you could withstand a little pain from some plants **,** couldn't you?"

Charcoal glanced at her with suspicion for a moment, no one beyond those that had been in the office had known this was all just a ruse but the medics choice of words and her tone seemed to indicated that she was onto the lie.

" _Does she know?!_ " the wounded warrior thought briefly before dismissing the sense of doubt as he saw that look of concern on the medic's face before snorting with disdain **.** _"She's just a simpleton medic; she wouldn't be smart enough to piece it together_ _ **.**_ " Having finally settled the guilt, he chose to respond with a simple grunt before settling back down as she tended to his eye.

 **-000-**

The quietness of the forest was disturbed by heavy breathing, the rustle of branches being knocked aside as Ri and Kitsune ran for their lives. As soon as the Servine was over the brief shock of the Dewott vanishing before she set her red gaze onto the duo muttering about leaving witnesses behind.

Kitsune glanced around, wide eyed, as they stopped for a moment. The teammates had broken off from the safety of the trail and now stood among the massive moss draped trees with no clear sign of where to go. The thickening mist obscured their view of anything beyond a couple of meters, though this also meant that Ivy's sight was also blocked by the impediment.

"Think we lost her?" Ri whispered quietly between gasps of breath as the extensive activeness was starting to take a toll on the Riolu, as/for he was used to being active, but today had been barely anything but running.

"I think…" The Dark type replied. Kitsune turned his head slowly as he strained his eyes, trying to see past the now very heavy mist, enough mist to justify the name. "Maybe now we're in the Misty Forest?" Kitsune remarked as he glanced around.

Ri couldn't help but roll his eyes, leave it to Kitsune to try and joke while they were possibly being pursued by a killer.

"Come on, we need to ge-" Ri stopped mid sentence as a flicker of movement caught his eyes. He then ducked down and brought his paw up to his mouth for silence.

Kitsune bit his tongue, holding back a natural smart remark, knowing any noise could cost them their lives, and he trusted that his friend had seen something.

Within the intervening seconds that assumption was proved right as a small serpentine like shape flickered briefly through the mist mere meters away. Kitsune sucked in his breath unconsciously to hold it, unaware that this action is what gave them away.

Both stood waiting, muscles tensed as they saw the shadowy figure distorted by the fog creep by closer. Ri mentally prepared himself to fight as the figure came closer, but that's when he realized something was off.

 _How is there a shadow? There's no sunlight._ Ri thought to himself and then the answer to the question revealed itself. A faint blue emitted from behind the Servine and she had yet to notice it, but now it was too late. The Dewott that had been stalking Ivy slammed the glowing Scalchop into the side of her. The only noise made was a slight grunt of surprise followed by her crumpling to the ground.

The Dewott stepped over her body and walked the last few meters toward Kitsune and Swift. The two figures stopped, tensed and ready, still unsure who the Dewott was. Ri had noticed the skill he had moved with through the fog.

Kitsune, for the first time, was able to get a close look at the Dewott. He stood at the average height of his species, around two feet tall. Judging by his lean form, Kitsune assumed that he was fairly active. As the dark type's blue eyes drifted up to Swift's face, he blinked, Swift's lower left whisker was significantly shorter than the rest, as if it had be severed some time ago.

The oddest thing about the water type was the cloak he wore. it was made of various shades of grey, ranging from a light ash to a darker smoky variation. The cloth seemed to shimmer in and out of focus through the heavy misty. It hung loosely around the Dewott's form, covering his body and falling short just a few inches above the ground.

Ri looked into the Dewott's coal black eyes before nodding "Thank you si-' but the figure held up a paw to stop him.

"Don't thank me yet," Swift said, his voice calm and fairly quiet as he eyed the two of them "We're not out of trouble yet, now tell me, why are you in here?"

Ri and Kitsune glanced between themselves before answering, a simple nod from Kitsune confirmed what he had been thinking. The Dewott had saved them; it would be wise to be honest.

"We were sent here by the Silvertown Guild to gather berries." Ri explained.

Swift nodded, his attention drifted to Kitsune as a scowl formed on the Zorua's face at the mention of their task "Not what you expected?"

"There was a...disagreement." Ri added slowly, seeing the scowl deepen.

"Not a disagreement." Kitsune said bluntly. "They wanted us to gather berries to show we have the proper 'blood'."

"I don't see how blood shows courage." Swift replied, his black gaze looking them both over before he added "not many pokemon will stand up against a assassin like the two of you did."

Kitsune's jaw dropped open as he squeaked in disbelief "That was an assassin?" His paw pointing toward the unconscious Servine to make sure they were talking about the same pokemon

Swift nodded slowly "Yes, her." he said pointing a paw at the figure.

Ri blinked in surprise at the news before his own curiosity was piqued "But what are you doing out here?"

"I was using the forest to meet someone." Swift shrugged. He decided it was as much truth as they needed for now.

Kitsune couldn't help it, it was natural for that smirk to rest on his face and true to his nature it formed as he thought about this somewhat intimidating Dewott creeping around the forest to meet a crush.

Ri rolled his eyes as he saw his friend's face before deciding to lead the conversation in a more productive direction. There was something about the Dewott, a quiet aura of determination and seriousness, Ri felt it pulsing off him in waves and the skill he showed put a hole in the meeting a crush theory that was going through Kitsune's mind.

"Meeting who?" he asked slowly, unsure if he could trust this figure enough just yet to fully believe whatever he may say.

Swift looked between the two of them carefully. His coal black gaze flicking back and forth as he quickly calculated how much information he could trust them with. Seeing the innocence in both of them and deciding it would come to no harm he told the truth.

"It was an Informant of the King."

Ri raised an eyebrow at the statement. _An informant? Does that mean he's some kind of high up in the capital?_

Kitsune's bubble popped now that he realized the the Dewott wasn't meeting a lover and he sighed as the broad grin turned into a frown as he thought the comment over "An informant for what?"

Swift watched both of their reactions, but before he could comment Ri asked a question that would force his hand to reveal his full identity.

"Who are you to be meeting with someone of the King?" Ri asked, making sure he phrased it properly to ask who Swift was instead of why he was meeting with someone of the King.

Swift sighed before nodding, so far everyone was being honest and he saw no reason why he shouldn't continue the trend "It's complicated but unofficially I am a member of the King's Explorers."

Kitsune's jaw hung open at the statement; it actually made sense to him. This Dewott definitely fit what Kitsune pictured as the legendary figures. King's Explorers were the elite of the kingdom, performing covert operations, tracking down things more dangerous things than mere guilds could, things like traitors and killers.

Ri meanwhile was more skeptical about the statement. Swift definitely could be one but the statement about unofficially caught his attention "You say unofficially, how about officially?"

Swift nodded, impressed by the Riolu's thought out questions before chuckling slightly, an action that made Kitsune stare as he spoke "Officially I am dead."

Kitsune opened his mouth to speak but before he could a faint sound caught his attention, his ears pricked slightly. It was a faint thumping sound that was slowly becoming louder.

 _Thump thump thump thump thump thump_

As the sound became louder Kitsune opened his mouth again to speak but Swift stopped him with a raised paw "We have to hide now!"

 _Thump thump thump thump thump thump_

The urgency in the Dewott's voice and the noise coming closer was enough to galvanize Kitsune and Ri into action, if the calm and confident figure told them to hide, they would hide. Swift pushed them behind a nearby tree. Hidden behind its mossy depths and the blinding fog, they would be invisible to anything more than two meters away.

 _Thump thump thump thump thump thump_

The noise was very close now as the three hid behind the trunk. Ri, his eyes straining as he looked into the fog to see whatever was coming. _There!_ He spoke to himself as he saw it.

Suddenly a long slender canine like shape shot by through the fog, the shape was nothing but a brief shadow. It happened so fast that if it wasn't for the drumming of the figure's paw steps becoming fainter he would have sworn he imagined it all.

They stayed there for a few moments until Swift decided it was safe and soon the three reentered the clearing they had been in. Kitsune had many questions to ask and he started with the blindingly obvious.

"What was that?"

Swift glanced at him before responding "I'm not sure, no one really knows...it just..shows up and when it does its best to hide."

"Whys that?" Ri asked carefully, unsure what to make of the odd and brief encounter.

The Dewott simply shrugged "No clue, The Commander said that if you hear the paw steps coming toward you it is best to hide, so I hide."

"Makes sense to me."Kitsune put in before glancing at Ri "So...what do we do now? I doubt there are any berries these far into the forest."

Ri tensed slightly at the mention of a commander and for a moment he blinked, unsure what the Zorua was talking about then he remembered. _THE MISSION!_ He realized that with everything that had happened he completely forgot about the original reason the two of them had come to the forest in the first place.

"Oh y-yea." he stammered in embarrassment, the snicker escaping Kitsune told him that the Zorua noticed the slip up "I guess we go back empty pawed." he sighed reluctantly.

Swift raised an eyebrow at the snicker and glancing at Ri's reaction he guessed it must have been a common occurrence between the two of them. 'Now wait, why give up so easily?" he noticed the disappoint Ri showed at the prospect of failing.

"Well there aren't any berries in the forest for us to collect." Ri said, as though it was obvious why they had failed.

Swift nodded slowly before speaking "Do berries from the forest taste any different...say from berries grown on a farm?"

"No….?" Ri responded in confusion at the direction Swift was going in.

Kitsune glanced between the two of them, a faint gleam of understanding dawned on him with Swift's words "So if we were to say...gather berries from a farm...then we would still be gathering berries."

Swift nodded but Ri looked unconvinced.

'But…" he started as both the Dark type and Water type turned to look at him "If we don't gather them from the forest then we don't complete the mission…"

"Sometimes you have to get creative." Swift said with a shrug "There's a farm about half a mile south of here where you could get some."

Ri, always being one for rules and procedure shook his head stiffly "We were told to get them from the forest…"

"Ri…" Kitsune started in slowly "Think about it...we weren't meant to get berries from the forest in the first place…"

Swift watched the two of them, knowing Kitsune would be the best choice to get the stubborn Riolu to see sense.

"You know that they don't want us with them, you heard the crap about blood and all." Kitsune pressed on.

"Yes but-" RI started but Kitsune cut him off quickly.

"Ri listen to me please, do you remember what Razor said when we tried to join?" Kitsune asked slowly.

Ri was about to reply until he realized what Kitsune was talking about. The snippet of conversation played over in his mind.

" _What does bloodline have to do with it?" Razor asked in disgust at the question "it has everything to do with it, this guild was founded by_ _ **pure blooded**_ _explorers and_ _ **I intend to continue that**_ _." he looked at the Riolu before going on "If you want to join then you will have to prove yourself."_

"He never intended for us to join at all….."Ri realized, a tear formed in his eyes as the truth sunk in. Kitsune moved to brush against Ri's leg. Swift stood there for a moment, thinking over what he had heard, the gleam of a plan forming in his mind as he rubbed his chin.

 **Hey everyone! The Guild master's true colors are revealed...or is it.. Ri's dreams of being in the Silvertown guild are crushed, and what is Swift planning? Will these three actually give each other their names? Guess we'll find out next time.**


End file.
